Study: Kuala Lumpur is the 2nd Smartest City in Southeast Asia, 73rd Globally Out of 142 Cities

The Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur has just been named the 2nd smartest city in Southeast Asia and 73rd globally in the 2024 Smart City Index (SCI) by the Institute of Management Development’s (IMD) Smart City Observatory.

An annual index offering a balanced focus on economic and technological aspects of smart cities on one hand and “humane dimensions” such as quality of life, environment and inclusiveness, read on to find out more about Kuala Lumpur’s performance in the latest iteration of the SCI.

Kuala Lumpur jumped 16 spots to reach 73rd position

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The Malaysian capital city made a noteworthy jump in the rankings in the 2024 SCI by placing 73rd out of 142 smart cities globally.

For reference, Kuala Lumpur was ranked 89th in the previous iteration of SCI, meaning that the city jumped a significant 16 places in the rankings. 

The index iterated that Kuala Lumpur has a commendable performance in specific metrics which SCI looked at, including online scheduling and tickets which have enhanced the usability of public transportation.

The index further revealed that businesses in Kuala Lumpur are creating new jobs with easier access to online job listings.

It’s not all rainbows and roses though, as Kuala Lumpur underperformed in certain metrics, including affordable housing, road congestion and issues about corruption or transparency. 

The 2024 Smart City Index rankings

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As for the study as a whole, Zurich retained its top spot as the smartest city in the world for the 5th consecutive edition of the SCI.

The top 3 also remained the same from the previous edition of the index, with Oslo and Canberra in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.

The top 10 smartest cities according to 2024 sci

Completing the top 5 are Geneva and Singapore, with the latter climbing 2 spots in the ranking and the highest-placing Asian city in the list. Overall, Kuala Lumpur is the 19th smartest city in Asia according to the study.

So, what do you guys make of the 2024 SCI and Kuala Lumpur’s ranking in it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Also read: M’sia Named 14th Fastest-Growing Economy in Asia, Behind Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines & Cambodia